1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a resonator for joining metal members together utilizing ultrasonic vibration, capable of joining together members to be joined (hereinafter referred to as the “joining target members”) even when an article has the joining target members disposed at its deep position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 9 shows an apparatus 45 for joining metal members together utilizing ultrasonic vibration disclosed in JP-A 2009-113083. The joining apparatus 45 is provided with a resonator 41 used for joining metal members together utilizing ultrasonic vibration. In FIG. 9, the resonator 41 has a structure in which a joining tool 43 is connected to one end of an ultrasonic horn 42. A vibrator 44 is attached to the other end of the ultrasonic horn 42.
The operation of the joining apparatus 45 will next be described. For example, the ultrasonic horn 42 is attached to a block 46 of the joining apparatus 45 and joining target members 48 having plural metal members stacked one on top of another are mounted on a receiving pedestal 47 disposed below the joining tool 43. The joining apparatus 45 is then moved relative to the receiving pedestal 47 and, in a state in which the joining target members 48 are pressurized between the joining tool 43 and the receiving pedestal 47, lateral ultrasonic vibration at the lower end of the joining tool 43 is transmitted to the joining target members 48 to join together contact surfaces of the stacked plural metal members in the joining target members 48.
In the joining tool 43 shown in FIG. 9, however, a tool head 49 on the side of the joining target members 48 has a lateral outer profile smaller than that of the upper portion of the joining tool 43 on the side of the ultrasonic horn 42. For this reason, a case where the joining target members 48 are to be joined to an article 50 shown in FIG. 10 has the following disadvantages. The article 50 has a projecting portion 51 disposed above the joining target members 48 and, when a space H1 between the joining target members 48 and the projecting portion 51 is smaller than a dimension H2 between the lower surface of the joining tool 43 and the upper surface of the ultrasonic horn 42, i.e. when H1<H2, and in other words in a case where the article 50 has the joining target members 48 disposed at its deep position, the resonator 41 cannot enter the space H1 between the joining target members 48 and the projecting portion 51 and, as a result, the joining target members 48 cannot be joined together.
The problem to be solved by the present invention lies in that the joining target members cannot be joined together when the article has the joining target members disposed at its deep position.